The R-C Morning Report

The Coalition for Smart Growth has sent a mail-out to pretty much everyone in Douglas County. The mail-out claims that a growth cap will only apply to Carson Valley. As far as I know, that's not true. The cap would not apply to Lake Tahoe because it is already under the jurisdiction of the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency. If the cap didn't apply to Topaz, why would Landmark Homes' Jim Bawden have sued the county over Sleeping Elephant Ranch? Secondly, the Meridian Study says there will be a need for new taxes regardless of the growth rate approved. The mail-out does say a higher growth rate would reduce the need to raise taxes, but what it does not make clear is that even the fastest growth rate would require a tax increase of $68.3 million, according to the report. One thing's for sure, there are no easy check-the-box answers in this debate.

We'll post the results of last night's meeting on a proposed Douglas County growth ordinance as soon as we see them. I was holding off posting this morning in the hope I would hear by now, but that will wait for the minute I hit the send button.

In the meantime, it's a beautiful day outside and it doesn't look like that is going to change anytime this weekend. The high today is only supposed to hit 45, but it will climb into the 50s on Saturday and in places perhaps brush 60 on Sunday. The snow in the lower elevations will be pretty much gone by Sunday, replaced by muddy mush.